Despite hailing from a town called Mold in North Whales England, The Joy Formidable are far from a toxic hazard to your health. They were pinned as a band to watch by NME Magazine when their EP A Balloon Called Moaning was released in 2009, and have a full length LP in the works for early next year.

Lead singer Ritzy Bryan’s voice is distinct and feminine without being devoured by loud guitars and pounding drums, and their dance jam Whirring didn’t make it on Ronnie’s Party List (TJM Vol 5) for nothing. It is impossible to sit still while listening to that song.

While other tracks like The Greatest Light is The Greatest Shade go through valleys and mountains of intensity that electrify your ear drums, Austere feels like a pop version of 90s grunge. This band takes you on a journey with A Balloon Called Moaning and is a great album to become lost in. Whether on an early morning commute or late night venture home you can’t help becoming immersed. But, I hear that this band is at its most impressive when seen live. Rumor has it Ritzy is a fiend for the guitar feedback and said to have a grin that can swallow a bar whole.

The trio was recently signed to Canvasback Music, and is kicking off their North American tour at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on November 4. I am a sucker for a band whose live show legacy precedes them, so if you decide to check them out, I’ll see you there.

Austere – The Joy Formidable
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The Greatest Light is The Greatest Shade – The Joy Formidable
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* If you are a member or manager of the above band and you would like your track removed, please contact us and we will swiftly oblige. Fans – new or old – please support this band by using your coffee money to buy their records.